Taiwan-based multi-media device maker BenQ is buying the handset and mobile devices manufacturing business of  Germany-based Siemens AG. The transaction is expected to be completed by October 1 of this year.

The pending deal doesn't mean Siemens the brand is going away. Siemens smartphones, including the SK65 with BlackBerry Built-In technology (shown at right) will live on for the next five years as branded product offerings of BenQ. In other words, Siemens phones won't be made or sold by Siemens, but the devices will still carry the Siemens livery.

Since BenQ doesn't currently make any phones or PDAs, the inclusion of the Siemens lines sounds like a good fit. What's even more interesting though, is BenQ's W11, a wireless 802.11b LAN card with voice processing capabilities. Presumably, a flavor of this card could be built into future generations of BenQ Siemens handsets, offering a flavor of VoIP over Wi-Fi.